“Do you want to write a short story for us?” said a bespectacled guy with a scarf draped around his neck.
It was he, and a crowd of creatively dressed youngins who greeted us at the entrance of Planet Terror, a horror-screamfest costume party organized by The Polaris Project. The guy later explained that he was dressed as French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, and that the notebook he was holding was the event's version of a guestbook. Instead of simply signing their names, guests could volunteer to write their own short stories to show that they attended.
Over a hundred guests piled into DITO: Bahay ng Sining in Marikina a week after Halloween for a night of culture and company. As if the other-ness of the whole affair wasn't emphasized enough by its unique guest book, also spotted at the event were feminist icons Simone de Beauvoir, Frida Kahlo, and a member of Pussy Riot, as well as pop culture faves Waldo (found him!), a pink power ranger, and The Dark Knight Rises-era Joker.
What draws people to these cultural gatherings is the promise of a unique experience—one that offers not only poetry, but film, theater, and music as well. Rather than having to rely on big names for fanfare, The Polaris Project aims for its events to put the spotlight on lesser known artists. There are few opportunities to showcase creativity and self-expression on such a wide scale these days, and Planet Terror did just that. With alternating performances from the likes of musicians such as Dissonance, SOUL_BRK, The Sound Architects, and The After School Special and poets like Jam Pascual, Red Bartolome, and Arin Mukhi, it was the perfect place to be for those in the mood to have a different kind of fun.
We're so used to school work and academics and having to do well that it's easy to forget about finding what we can do well if it's not academic-related.
Events like Planet Terror can remind us that it's important to express ourselves creatively.
Article by Gaby and Miky
Photo by Jude Geron, courtesy of The Polaris Project
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